A Few Thoughts about "Furious Love"

Photos lifted from the Internet

"She is beautiful beyond the dreams of pornography ... she is an ache in the stomach when I am away from her ... I'll love her until the day I die!"  --Richard Burton 

Let's talk about creating memorable characters and memorable love stories. Then let's talk about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. I'm still working on the how of creating these characters in my fiction, but I think I've found some inspiration in this real life love story.

There's a new book out called "Furious Love" by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger. I'm reading it now, but I've been aware of Liz and Dick - as the tabloids used to call them -- since I was a kid in Ohio. Back in the 1950s, black families were mesmerized by Hollywood's movie stars just like any other family, and my grandmother, who raised me from 2 to 10 (or even longer in many ways), loved Liz Taylor. She was a huge fan of Liz's big-girl movies. Not the National Velvet or the other films Liz made in adolescence, but she watched the Liz who were low-cut dresses and black eyeliner and red lipstick. My grandmother would take my brother and me to watch 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof', 'BUtterfield 8' (she LOVED that movie) and 'Suddenly Last Summer' to name a few of the remarkable Taylor vehicles made when Liz was at the height of her beauty and (unfortunately) also her personal tragedy.

I'm not sure what my grandmother thought of Liz's private life (probably helped that Liz married most of the men she slept with), but except for Liz Taylor I don't recall my grandmother ever sitting still or staying awake for 'fiction'. She watched The Ed Sullivan Show and Sing Along with Mitch because Leslie Uggams, "a Negro girl was on the show".  But when it came to Liz Taylor my grandmother would leave the house (go to the movie theater). She rarely left the house except to go to the grocery store or the AME church.

I'm not necessarily endorsing the book here. I'm recalling a time when movie stars were untouchable and eerily pretty and dangerous (James Dean). So far the book is good reading, but think about writing a book that takes the risks that Liz Taylor's 13-year love affair featured - marriage and divorce and marriage and divorce. Drunken brawls, passion, sex, talent ... to this day, she is still a conflicted character to me; searching for happiness. Talk about drama? All romance writers should study Liz and Dick, I know I am. Motivation - Liz's sheltered youth. Her dependency on men. Her lust for men. Then keep in mind the era she was born into that kept women from taking risks - personally or professionally. She wanted independence and back then for her that meant marriage.  Then she falls in love with a man who was a romantic, a brilliant talent, a tortured artist, an admitted drunk - a bad boy who worshipped her (Spike and Buffy anyone?).

"I am forever punished by the gods for being given the fire and trying to put it out. The fire, of course, is you." --Richard Burton

It's the tortured romance that requires an epic tale, with big heartache, which only comes from big love.

Finally Back in DC and It's Still Snowing

Have you wondered where I've been for the past two weeks? Well, the answer is easy. Not writing or reading as much as I would have liked - mountains of snow or no snow. Actually, I can't claim first hand experience with the snow. I spent most of the past two weeks in Florida working, but also attempting to relax, which honestly I found impossible to do. I kept thinking about writing, not writing, liking and not liking what I've written and in general over thinking my book. So what does that translate into? No progress. So what do I do?

I'm reading. It inspires me. I start reading and a passage will make me think, wow, I need to be writing. I've got a half dozen books I'm thumbing through (okay, clicking through, and more like 50 because they're on my Kindle:), but there are three that keep pulling me back in:).

There's the J.R. Ward novel, Covet, which starts so smart I must finish it. Plus it's the new genre I haven't read much of - all about Angels:). Next is a novel by Joe Haldeman, "The Accidental Time Machine."

I like his crisp style, and of course, really good science fiction that's accessible - not too techie, or war-like, or machines (unless they're Terminators). But speaking of which, I'm taking an online class (likely not a smart move since I'm submitting excerpts from my manuscript, and the class is a science fiction writing class, and my book is a post-apocalyptic near-future tale with vampires and a hot romance - and a mystery to solve). The class wants science fiction. Period.

The comments I'm getting aren't that helpful. For example, they want me to add more about the technology, how the weather changed and why, and each time a comment starts with the "I don't read vampire stories" - I roll my eyes. And it's not that I don't have technology, or information about the weather - but jeez - I submitted three chapters. How much backstory can you give in three chapters without going into hyper-exposition mode? But the question is why did I take this class in the first place? I had signed up for the feature article writing class, but after a day realized it was going to require 'new brain-power' which would have completely pulled me off of my book (and yes, I need to stop whining:).

Wow! Just reread that last paragraph. I think I'm not happy with the feedback I received from the class (lol)! But if I stop whining - I should see the good. The comments have been positive about many things - the main character, the dialog, the villain and more....so why is it I can only remember the comments that weren't so praising? Typical writer...

The other book I'm reading is The Strain, and yeah, I like the theatrical style and the tight-packaging of the action. So, hopefully in a few days, I'll be back in the saddle again - or at least in front of my computer writing, writing, writing.